Vindication: Void no Uta- HIATUS
by Desuchi
Summary: Collab by Desuchi and RubyCrusade. Although she lives in a life of danger and fear, Void manages to live a happy life nonetheless; however, a young redheaded boy throws it all into chaos when he gets caught doing the forbidden in her village. She witnesses the destruction of everything she holds dear, thus leaving her jaded. Can anyone save her, or will she be dragged down to hell?
1. Chapter 1

**Hiya kiddos! ;3 Here is the infamous RC and her lovely friend Desuchi teaming up to bring to you this beautiful story! :DDD I know Desu-chan is the one hosting the story, so you must be disappointed that I'm the writer for the first chapter! *Troll face* So… how did this unholy combination begin? Well… bored out of my mind, mowing the lawn, a lovely plot bunny came to mind; however I didn't feel like raising this bunny alone (And I have a whole lot of other plot bunnies XD) and I've been wanting to do a collab for a long time… My idea was ElsAi, and I went…. "Hmmm… What person (Who would be available and willing to help) and is awesome with ElsAi would want to help?" So my eyes fell on Desu-chan, author of IHY/ILY and now we're here… **

**I've been totally mean to Desu-chan (Threatening to flush her fav story, if she didn't update MY favorites X,D) But no… she's seriously an AWESOME person and if you haven't read any of her stories (In that case you've probably been living under a rock X,P)read them! So… here I am bringing you the first chapter of this collab!**

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**-Desuchi's Turn to talk-**

**Get out Ruby. You're one to talk. Anyways, yes, Ruby decided to talk to me through PM and then she more or less got out IS and her chainsaw and…yeah. (Jkay, I simply couldn't turn down the offer of a collab with RUBYCRUSADE out of all people, so I said yes and here I am- Let me shut up, I'm rambling.) **

**So without further ado, since I ruined Ruby's introduction to the story, here is chapter one :D**

**Disclaimer: We don't own Elsword! We do own two chainsaws and rope though. :D**

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Vindication: Void no Uta

Infi

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Warm sunlight started to stream through the windows of the old, weathered stone house, as a new day greeted the small, isolated village of Daemonium. The air still had a slight chill to it, and tendrils of mist coated the window, softening the view to an indistinguishable haze of muted colors. The leaves of the small potted plants, the deep violet petals of the flowers, and the sharp blades of grass still glistened with early morning dew. Slowly, a blazing sphere of orange peeked over the horizon, painting the inky jet black sky, a warm colorful canvas of reds, pinks, various shades of orange, with a touch of eggshell blue.

It was another day, so the people of the village rose out of their beds to get dressed and live their normal, everyday lives…

As normal as you could when one was cursed with Demon blood and forced to live in small, isolated communities, holding their breath each day, anxiety burdening their hearts as they wonder if the Crusades, launched by Hamel, capital of Fluonne, will destroy them as well.

But as for young Void, a prodigious Dark Magician, it all seemed so far away to her.

Sharp violet eyes, softened by early morning drowsiness, opened by just a smidge, as a violet-haired woman clad in lacy black attire banged loudly on Void's bedroom door.

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

"VOID! IT'S TIME TO GET YOUR ASS UP!" The violet haired woman bellowed and continued to pound on the door, making the frame rattle with each thunderous blow. Void groaned softly and brushed her silky lavender locks out of her eyes before burying her head underneath the pillow.

"Go…away…" She moaned sleepily. The violet haired woman snorted petulantly and summoned a jet-black axe, with bat wing-shaped blades.

"Void! If you don't get up I will knock your door down!" She threatened and for good measure, slammed the butt of her ax-staff into the battered wooden door.

**THUD!**

Void sighed dejectedly and unwillingly, dragged herself out of the warm comfy bed, hastily throwing the black cotton sheets over it, in a haphazard manner. "Ok…I'm getting up Speka… just don't break the door down!" The tired dark magician moaned loudly. Speka snorted and de-summoned her ax-staff.

"Be down soon, the Village Leader wants to talk to all the important people here, and as my sister you have to go!" Speka hollered loudly.

Void furrowed her brow thoughtfully and pursed her lips into a pensive frown. Why would the leader be asking for all the powerful magi and demon warriors together? He rarely did that, unless it involved…

Unless it involved the Crusades…

"Ok!" Void hollered back, "I'll be down soon!" Speka didn't reply, but she nodded her head approvingly and walked away, leaving Void to get ready by herself. Void frowned disconcertedly as she slipped on her purple, fuchsia, and lavender-tinted white dress; she brushed her bangs to the side as she adorned her tresses with a smiling skull hair ornament, securing it with a small little _click_. The more Void thought about it, the more ominous it became. So far, the village of Daemonium has had remarkable luck, especially since the highly religious village of Sanctimonialis was right next to them.

The people of Sanctimonialis were religious fanatics, and they were infamous for their 'Witch Hunts'. Void had been there a couple of times to run errands, and each time was harrowing to say the least. Her tastes in fashion did especially well to not endear her to the locals; personally, Void could care less. She had a strong distaste for them, those fanatics who blindly worshipped Caeles, the deity that guarded the El, and she hated how mercilessly they prosecuted all those of Demon's Blood.

It was always like this for Void, but there was a time according to the village leader, were they weren't always prosecuted so. The old myths spoke of times where humans, elves, and demons… whether half or whole, all lived together peacefully. That all changed in an incident where a demon by the name of Ran rallied the chaotic race known as 'Demons' together and attacked Fluonne, in an attempt to take over the peaceful and sleepy, but prosperous continent. Through the combined efforts of the humans, elves, and half-demons, they managed to defeat Ran and save Elrios; however after that, humans started to shun and prosecute the half-demons.

They deemed them unstable and said they were cursed. Rumors and myths started to spread, people grew afraid of the half-breeds, as they were so nicely called. Fluonne, especially Hamel, was the worst. The people relentlessly went after the half-demons, hurling derogatory slurs at them and killing them. Whole villages would gather together and hold 'Purges' where they would hunt down, imprison, and then kill the half-demons. Eventually Fluonne became so unsafe, that many half-demons fled to Rurensia. Sure they were still treated as dirt, but at least they didn't have the constant threat of being dragged away and burned at stake looming over their heads.

All the tension and bad blood reached a fever pitch, when 25 years ago…

Hamel launched the Crusades, the complete eradication of all half-demons from Fluonne.

Many lives were lost…

There was so much bloodshed…

The persecution became worse…

Finally, the half-demons decided to retreat and isolate themselves from the world.

Yet… they're still being hunted down…

If the Leader was calling a meeting, then something significant had or was about to happen. Nothing was that important anymore… unless it pertained to the Crusades. Void's sharp eyes narrowed as she contemplated those thoughts. Yes… it most likely had to do with the Crusades. Hastily she grabbed a bagel, not bothering to slather it with cream cheese, like she usually did, and ran outside to meet Speka.

"There you are slowpoke… took you long enough." Speka drawled lazily as she casually leaned against the cool, slightly moist grey stone walls. Mouth full of bagel, all Void could do was snort acerbically and roll her eyes. Amused stormy grey eyes surveyed Void, as she greedily chewed on the bagel, spilling crumbs everywhere.

"My, my, aren't we the greedy little pig today?" Speka mused dryly, eliciting a derisive scowl from Void as she swallowed and wiped the crumbs off her face.

"You're one to talk Speka… when I went to get some pudding last night, it was gone." Void retorted in an accusatory tone and narrowed her eyes. Speka blushed slightly, but quickly hid it and drew her lips into a thin smirk.

"Well… somebody has to stop you from eating everything in the house." She snapped back, sounding somewhat embarrassed.

"I thought so…" Void replied smugly, a thin smile on her lips as she sensed Speka's edgy tone, meaning she had hit a nerve. Speka huffed cantankerously and adjusted the floppy, wide brim of her stygian black witch's hat.

"Let's just go to the meeting." She snapped testily and grabbed Void's wrist; teleporting them to the council.

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The council was an old building, Gothic style with steely grey walls and a couple of flower bushes that fluttered nervously in the light breeze. Normally, it was quite and somber, a reassuring presence that was always there when you needed it, but did not feel the need to be included.

However… today was different, a couple of magi and about one demon knight were hovering nervously outside the building. Their whispers an inaudible hissing, but from their tone, whatever was going on was important…

And not good.

"Hello Speka! And lovely young Ms. Void! How are you faring today?" An elderly mage, with a wise wrinkled face, wispy silver hair that gently puffed out, and milky grey eyes called out to the two violet-haired sisters. Speka smiled roguishly and waved her hand in a lackadaisical gesture of 'hello'.

"Sup gramps?' Speka drawled, earning several eye rolls from the onlookers. The elderly mage smiled and dipped his head.

"We're waiting for you Speka, you best hurry up and get inside so we can start the meeting." His friendly and laid-back expression turned oddly somber, and Void felt a chill run up her spine.

Not good.

Speka dropped her normally lazy expression and narrowed her eyes, sensing something wrong. "Alright gramps, I'll be right there." She said and abruptly turned to Void. "Come on Void, let's go." She whispered softly in Void's ear. The young dark mage nodded and entered the council, with Speka leading the way.

The inside of the building was lit by flickering candlelight, which was muted by frosty glass, casting a soft orange halo, making it seem surreal and otherworldly. The musty, but comforting smell of old books, bound by leather, and the subtle scent of lavender hung in the air. Void took a deep whiff, inhaling the comforting fragrance and continued down the hall with Speka, weaving through the people that were conversing with each other in nervous voices.

"Did you hear? That poor boy…"

"The entire village of Kreiss…"

"The only survivor… how sad, he had to witness that."

Void's ears caught fragmented pieces of the conversation, her eyes widening.

_Kreiss… isn't that a sanctuary much like Daemonium? I know it's located close to us… and… oh shit… no wonder the leader is calling a meeting. If the Crusades have gotten to Kreiss then they aren't too far from us! _

Void contemplated worriedly, crinkling her eyebrows together as she pieced everything together. Speka looked back at her little sister, wanting to say something soothing to Void, but unable to think of anything as she was anxious to.

"The Zero Squadron is visiting Sanctimonialis…"

Speka stopped dead in her tracks, causing the spaced-out Void to bump into her. "Oof!" Void grunted, rubbing her forehead and nose liberally. Speka whipped around to face the people who said 'Zero Squadron' was in the village next down.

"What?!" Speka exclaimed loudly causing the pair (Both middle-aged women, with raven tresses) to jump. "Zero Squad is next door?!" She hissed fervidly. The two women got over their shock and nodded their heads, worried, disconcerted expressions on their faces.

"Apparently they're just passing by, but still…" The woman on the right trailed worriedly.

Speka furrowed her brow and nodded, "We still need to be careful." She said, finishing the sentence in a somber tone. "Is it coming up in the meeting today here as well?" She continued.

The woman on the left nodded, and adjusted the silver brooch that was clasped on her neckline. "I believe so." She said carefully. Speka arched her back like a cat and let out a soft, slow hiss.

"Lovely… just damn lovely…" she muttered vehemently and whipped back, so she was facing Void. "Come on, we can't dally here." She said brusquely and motioned for the young Dark Mage to follow her. With a quick bob of her head, Void obliged and started after Speka.

"Hey…sis… what exactly is the Zero Squadron?" She enquired as the violet siblings walked at a brisk pace. Speka's eyes widened before letting out a humorless snort.

"Don't you know _anything_?" Speka sighed bemusedly and rolled her eyes. Void's mouth dropped open into the perfect little 'o' of indignation.

"I heard of them, but I don't know who they are exactly!" She snapped back petulantly and pursed her lips into an acrid frown. Speka heaved a noisy sigh and her grey eyes fluttered shut, before opening again.

"Zero Squadron is a small group of elite assassins who work for Hamel. They eliminate dangerous enemies and powerful half-demons. They are only four in number, but they have wiped out entire sanctuaries before." Speka explained with a somber expression on her face.

Void's violet eyes widened immensely as she tried to comprehend such a fact. Half-demons had the blood of demons running through them, and as a result they were far stronger than a normal human by default. Four humans wiping out entire sanctuaries was unheard of, and the simple fact that it was possible sent chills running down Void's spine.

"Ah, here we are." Speka said as she paused in front of a large, weathered wooden door with an arcane rune, etched in silver, on the door.

"So, this is where the meeting is being held?" Void enquired apprehensively as the violet sisters hovered outside the door. Speka didn't respond in words, but she dipped her head briefly and gently brushed the rune. In response to her touch, the rune blazed a brilliant shade of lavender and the door silently swung open. Void gulped loudly and stepped inside.

Gathered around the circular ebon table, were several magi and knights, each carrying somber expressions. A young boy, around Void's age with vivid cerise hair that stuck out garishly in a room predominated by various hues of violet, and jet-black; vivid hair was done in a thick, spiky ponytail and his eyes were a deep crimson, caught the Dark Mage's attention. Gently, Void tugged on Speka's wrist.

"Speka… who is that? I haven't seen him around." She whispered curiously. Speka pursed her lips into a pensive frown and contemplated the crimson-haired boy thoughtfully.

"You know what, Void? I have no clue either." Speka replied looking at the crimson-haired boy with interest. Void cocked an eyebrow and took a seat next to her sister.

"Hello, Nox." Speka said in a polite tone, addressing the question to a full-grown man, with white hair and stormy grey eyes. Nox, also called the leader by the residents of Daemonium, dipped his head.

"Hello Speka," he turned to Void and he smiled softly."Hello Void." Void dipped her head deferentially.

"Hello, sir." She replied. Nox gave a small smile of approval and diverted his attention back to everyone else, who was whispering to each other.

"Everyone! The meeting shall now commence!" He thundered imperiously and rose from his seat, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. Silence overtook the room as everyone stopped their concentration and diverted their attention to Nox; staring at him with unnerving attentiveness. An uneasy silence fell over the room, as the council waited for their leader to speak.

"We are here to discuss some grave and disconcerting news… The entire village of Kreiss has fallen by the cruel hand of the Crusaders." The leader said in a sad and somber tone. At those words, the crimson-headed boy hung his head and buried his face in his hands. Void cocked a curious eyebrow at him, vaguely remembering something she had overheard.

_Wait… that boy-?_

A frenetic hissing sea of whispers flooded the room and Nox had to raise his hand to silence everyone. "Everyone! Please quiet yourselves!" He bellowed. Silence once again fell over the room.

"Excuse me," A magus with silvery-blonde hair and mismatched eyes of green and blue said, breaking the newly-restored silence. Nox cocked an eyebrow at her and dipped his head, "Yes Mrs. Hyacinthus?" He inquired in a weary tone.

"Were there any survivors?" Hyacinthus plowed on now that she had gotten the 'ok' to continue talking. The leader's eyes widened.

"Actually… that was what I was going to be talking about." He said earning an incredulous look from the magus. Clearing his throat loudly he turned to the crimson-haired boy and placed a firm hand on his shoulder, before turning back to address the congregation with a sad expression on his face.

"The entire village was slaughtered and there was only one survivor, who by some miracle, managed to escape." He said and nodded at the crimson-haired boy, who nodded back. "Everyone, this is Infi Vermiculus, the only survivor from Kreiss." Nox said and held his hand out towards the crimson boy. Infi nodded his head deliberately.

"Hello…" He said in almost a whisper. Several soft whispers were exchanged as everyone gawked and gaped at Infi. The crimson-haired Infi shifted around in his seat with an uncomfortable expression on his face.

After shooting a concerned look at the young red-haired teen, he turned back to the crowd. "Now our final piece of news is that Zero Squadron has been spotted in the neighboring village of Sanctimonialis." At those words, the room degenerated into absolute chaos.

"WHAT?!"

"ARE WE GOING TO GET MASSACRED AS WELL?!"

"WHAT SHOULD WE DO?!"

Void clamped her hands over her ears to drown out the frantic screeching of the council.

**BANG!**

"EVERYONE! QUIET!" Nox bellowed forcefully, silencing the frantic people instantly. A hushed, awkward silence overfell everyone, as they looked down, somewhat ashamed. "Thank you…" He heaved an exasperated sigh and brushed his pallid strands of hair out of his stormy eyes.

"Excuse me, sir." Speka said, just as Nox opened his mouth to speak, interrupting whatever he was going to say. Nox clamped his mouth shut and rolled his eyes exasperatedly, giving Speka a curt nod. Speka dipped her head in a gesture of thanks. Adjusting the ebon-rimmed glasses that were perched on the bridge of her nose, she cleared her throat loudly and opened her mouth to speak.

"From what I hear, they're only here to visit. If we are cautious, it shouldn't be too big of a deal." Speka stated in a firm tone that left no room for doubt. Everyone stared at her dubiously, not quite believing her, but they didn't voice their thoughts. Taking the silence as an agreement, Nox took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"If that is all, then this meeting is adjourned." Nox said in a flat tone. Everyone nodded and rose up from their seats, mumbling to each other in disgruntled tones, telling Void that they weren't completely satisfied with Nox's and Speka's answer.

_Well, whatever happens, happens, either way it will all work out in the end. _The young Dark Mage thought. It was like Speka said, as long as they didn't use their powers outside of the village, they should avoid being put under surveillance, and in which case, the Crusaders should pass over them all together.

"Let's go…" Speka said to Void, and briskly walked over to her, snatching her arm and dragging her out of the room.

"Ah, Speka! Can you please wait?" Nox called out after them. Speka heaved a noisy sigh and inclined her head to the side, before rolling her eyes and turning around so she was facing Nox's direction.

"What?" She snapped tetchily and started to rap her foot against the old, dull wood impatiently. Nox sucked in his breath and beckoned for someone who was inside the room still.

"Ok, I'm coming…" A teenage male's voice mumbled softly, and the crimson-haired boy, Infi came trudging out of the meeting room.

"What's he doing here?" Void blurted out suddenly, earning a kick in the ankle from Speka. "Ow!" She yelped and bent over to rub her throbbing ankle.

"Shut it Void." Speka snapped brusquely and narrowed her eyes. "Yes… what is he doing here?" Speka enquired warily and contemplated Infi with an intense interest.

Nox drew his mouth into a thin smile and alternated glances between the three young ones. "Well, I was wondering if he could live with you, until I can make proper arrangements for him."

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**Aaand cut! I'm sorry if it was a little on the short side, but hey… it's only the first chapter :3 Things will get better! I hope you remember to R&R and don't shoot me for it being boring! This story will soon heat up and then it will become over the top! Desu is handling stuff like looking out for typos and that kind of stuff (mainly she's going to be the one who makes sure writing is up to snuff) and I'm orchestrating the plot (I'm VERY good at elaborate and deep plots if I do say so myself) So together, we hope to write a great story! :DDD Ja Nee! *Flies out the window***

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**-It's Desu Time now-**

**So I believe Ruby did a fantastic job for the first chapter, now you people have to wait for this lazy authoress to get off her lazy butt and start writing the second chapter. I certainly hope I can get to it as soon as possible. How was the first chapter? Remember, reviews are an author's favorite meal!**

**-grabs Ruby by the ear and drags her back in- Now if you'll excuse me, I have a certain Ruby's self esteem to kick around. –smirks and tosses Ruby into a box-**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. I feel…seriously uncomfortable about this chapter. I feel like Ruby's chapters are going to be fabulous and beautiful while mine are just going to be floppy bits of amateur writing on a file. T^T Speaking of, I'm a horrible collab partner. I had to hold this off for like 3 weeks and poor Ruby probably already jumped out a window in impatience. I'm sorry Ruby OAO I tried to make this chapter as good as possible but…-emo corner-**

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**Ruby's Note: I'm sure Desu did just fine… =w= Nevermind her rambling, just review to give the poor girl some confidence ok? And… Well… I've been keeping myself busy… so I didn't jump out a window… XD And somebody needs to give Desu a pep talk… I'm sure she did a beautiful job… Now please excuse me as I drag Desu out of Mr. Corner and shove RS in a butler suit =w=**

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**Disclaimer: We don't own Elsword. Otherwise IS and RS would be the top dawgs in there~**

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Vindication: Void No Uta

Unease

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"I…Thank you for agreeing to take me in." The red haired boy softly said, dipping his head and hiding behind the long red bangs that fell over his face. The corners of his mouth twitched and settled into a straight line as the trio walked along the dusty streets of the village. Void blinked curiously and gave him a smile, trying to cheer up her new acquaintance.

"No problem! I mean, after all, you don't have a place to stay at the moment and-" She was cut off by a quick slap to the head from Speka, who was obviously forcing herself not to death glare her younger sibling. Void gave a small whimper and daintily touched her head where a slight spark of pain lingered and faded.

"Have some tact with your words, Void." The older huffed, flipping her hair and adjusting her ebony colored hat. "My apologies, but we have some other things to do before we arrive at home. I take it that you do not require immediate rest?" Her tone was brusque, although there was gentleness in her eyes as she looked over at the redhead with what might have been concern. Infi, as the boy was called, shook his head, his crimson locks swishing back and forth.

"No, I don't mind." He murmured, tucking his pale hands into the shabby pockets of his threadbare pants. Speka glanced over at Infi's attire and raised an eyebrow at the loose threads and rips. She made eye contact with her younger sister and both instantly came to a decision: He needed new clothes.

"I think we might have enough time to pick out some new clothes for you, if we get the other things done sooner." The older sibling gave a casual flex of her shoulders and peered at the boy beside her, her eyes flickering back and forth among various points of his body. "It shouldn't be too much of a problem; you have a rather skinny build."

"Most clothes would fit him then." Void pointed out, stepping away from the redhead when he made a small noise of discomfort at their close proximity. Infi seemed to shrink into his body as the observing stares from both purple-headed siblings burned through him. She fell back a little to examine the boy's physique. "I think the tailor shop near the Miran Fountain should have clothes to his liking."

Speka made a little sound of agreement and ducked under a low hanging branch as the three people continued walking. Along the way, Void purchased a few apples from a vendor for a couple of copper coins and handed the red fruits out, taking a large bite out of her own. The crispy skin came apart and sweet summer-flavored juice burst into her mouth. It dribbled down her chin, making her wipe her face with her sleeve. Her older sibling gave a snort of disgust.

"You should really be more polite. Haven't you learned anything from me these past few years?" The elder purplenette clicked her tongue disapprovingly, elegantly biting into her own apple without having juice exploding all over her face. Void rolled her eyes and gave her sister a deadpan look.

"It was just an apple, geez." She muttered around another bite of apple, a bit put off. Her sibling sighed with exasperation and excused herself to go pick up her shears from the blacksmith, where the witch had requested some new scissors and whatnot a few days ago. Left alone next to the younger of the two girls, Infi stared at Void silently for a bit and moved closer, taking one of his hands out of his pockets.

"You missed a spot." He said almost inaudibly, a smooth finger quickly swiping away a stray drop of apple juice from Void's face and wiping itself on his frayed shirt. Infi turned away afterwards, slightly embarrassed from the way his ears were pink. The hand went silently back into the pocket as Void cheeks tinged red.

"Um…Thanks." She fingered the hem of her skirt and quickly faced the opposite direction so the boy wouldn't see that she was blushing. Her face burned. Speka came casually strolling back, swinging a decent sized leather pouch in her fingers, which seemed a little too big to only hold the newly crafted shears. It was tossed towards Void, who fumbled with it before firmly grasping it in her hands.

"Careful with that, the metal is still pretty hot. You might want to grab it around the strings instead of the actual pouch." The witch flatly advised. Purple eyes examined the way the younger teens were sitting and the sight seemed to amuse her, judging from the way her lips twitched upwards.

"This is a bit heavy to only hold a pair of shears." Void stated, carefully weighing the leather bag in her palms. She could feel the warmth emanating from the metal inside through the material, although it wasn't hot enough for her to drop it. "Is there anything else inside?"

"Nothing much. A few needles, the shears, and a retractable sword." The other responded, tossing her apple core into a trash can and motioning for the others to do the same. Infi wordlessly looked up after disposing his core and gazed at the bag, his dim ruby red eyes lighting up with a slight interest. Sensing that the boy wanted to say something, the sisters remained quiet, deliberately slowing their apple-core-throwing to give him time.

"A retractable sword?" He finally asked, his fingers swiping away the crimson hair covering his face. Speka nodded and leaned back against a nearby tree as Void adjusted the leather bag by her side.

"Mhm. I'm guessing you have no weapon on you." The brim of her hat was adjusted lower, leaning over her eyes and covering them with dark shadows. "Since this is a village that's almost always in danger, everyone should have a weapon at all times. But the more hidden it is, the better. We can't have the search officers coming into a village and seeing everyone armed to the teeth with weaponry." She snorted with contempt when she mentioned the officers and continued talking.

"But the basic fact is that it's good to have a method of self defense, and at certain times, offense. You can have the sword once it cools down. Old James threw it in for an extra 30 silver coins, not a bad price for someone who didn't originally plan to buy it."

Void puffed her cheeks in curiosity and opened the bag. Although the metal tools inside it were still toasty, she dug around until she found something that resembled half a sword, or more correctly, the elaborately decorated hilt of one without a blade. The younger one pulled it out of the pouch with a bit of difficulty, since the hilt got caught on one of the strings. "You mean this thing- oops!" She squeaked and dropped the weapon, her fingers burning. Although not all of it was scalding hot, her fingers happened to touch a part where the metal was still scorching enough to burn. Void sucked on her aching finger and winced.

The weapon had clattered onto the stone path, where it lay a few feet away from them near a large gray cobble. Speka huffed and motioned for her sister to get it while she fussed over the other items in the bag, taking out metal tool after tool, occasionally asking Infi if they looked fine, sharp, and/or unscratched.

Void bent over to pick up the fallen sword, but a hand came out of nowhere and snatched it before she could. Surprised, the purplenette straightened up and looked up to see a wickedly handsome face with cunning golden eyes. A scar adorned the side of his strongly defined jaw. His deep and cold tone stunned her as the man took a casual but purposely drawn out look at the hilt and handed the object back to her with eyes narrowed.

"I take it that this belongs to you?" His baritone voice was threateningly light as Void quietly took the hidden blade back, strangely intimidated by the figure in front of her. She nodded in a meek way, feeling chills run up and down her spine in an unpleasant fashion.

"Yes it is. Thank you, sir." She gulped, hoping it wasn't too noticeable. Sweat prickled the back of her neck, and it definitely wasn't because of the hot weather.

His calculating eyes raked over her figure, lingering a bit too long on the skull shaped pin in her hair. The cold gaze settled on the steel object in her hand, where Void nervously curled her fingers around it and clenched on to it tightly regardless of the blistering heat that was melting through her skin. Never in her life did she ever meet someone so intimidating. The man had such a powerful air around him, one of menacing control and intelligence. It frightened her.

"Well go along then, little girl. Have a…_nice_…day." His midnight black hair swished as the man briskly turned around, giving one last piercing stare at the weapon in her hands before disappearing with a flash of his stark white coat. Void swallowed the lump in her throat that had formed unnoticeably and walked back to where her sister was waiting next to Infi.

"My goodness, why the hell would you decide to do such a stupid thing and take out something that's literally scorching hot with your bare hands and-" Speka abruptly stopped talking and leaned in closer to Void, her amethyst eyes narrowing. "What's with the look on your face? You look like a nude cat that was dunked in ice cold water."

Void briefly recounted her little story and watched her older sibling's face warily, unsure how she would take it. Speka spat like a cat and clenched her hold around the leather pouch, crossing one of her legs over the other against the tree.

"This is bad. Very, very bad." The witch muttered, taking off her glasses and polishing them before putting them on again. "Sounds like that guy from Squad Zero. Raven." Infi interrupted.

"I thought they were just visiting." His tone was casual but there was an edge of panic in it. His ruby eyes were also revealing a small trace of disguised terror, like the look a prey might have if it ran into a predator that it had avoided for a long time. "Do you think that they know a survivor from the last village is hiding here?"

"That was the longest sentence you said so far." Void remarked. "But I doubt it. Nox did say that they were here strictly to visit, and I'm pretty sure no one here would openly tell them about a survivor. And Sis, how do you know it's specifically Raven?"

"Oh believe me, I know it's him." She responded resentfully with a smirk. "Black hair as dark as midnight, golden eyes that can pierce through your soul, and an air of pure unadulterated danger." She paused for a bit, her flawless features wrinkling up and smoothing out with a thought. "You also did say he had a really eye-catching white coat. People here don't wear the color white, so even if he wasn't Raven, he would be an outsider in town."

"I guess." Void shuddered at the memory, clasping her fingers together near her stomach. "He was really scary."

"You don't say, he's not a member of Squad Zero for being a cuddlebug, is he?" Her older sister sarcastically stated. "Well now that he saw the blade, I can only hope the blacksmith was right when he said it'll fool even the keenest of eyes. Otherwise, we better start packing." Her tone was dead serious. "Let's go home; we can finish our little business in town next time. It's going to get dark anyways in a few hours."

The trio quietly trudged up the path towards home, where Infi would be staying until Nox found other arrangements. Twice Void thought that she saw that same man with the unusual furry white coat, Raven, in town- once quietly chatting with a silver haired girl in a black leather combat dress near the apple vendor, and once with a poker-faced blonde teen with strange white-colored armor beside a tailor shop. The blonde seemed to be holding two guns for a split second before a carriage went by and the weapons had disappeared along with the two males.

A finger lightly poked her on the shoulder, snapping Void out of her thoughts. Purple eyes met ruby as Infi looked at her with a guarded but concerned expression. "You look troubled. Is it Raven?"

"Um, no, it's nothing." She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Infi obviously didn't buy it, judging from the look on his face, but he fell back and didn't question her more. "I'm fine, we're almost home anyways." She tried again. The redheaded boy nodded and shoved his hands inside his pockets again. Looks like they'll be getting his new clothes tomorrow, due to Speka's strange uneasiness at the mention of Raven in town. Void wondered why, but then shook her head. Her older sister was always like that, always getting nervous and put on edge for the slightest of reasons.

The sound of keys jangled as the trio reached the door to the purplenettes' household.

"Alright, we're home." Void's older sibling announced, magically lighting the lamps with an airy flick of her wrist and closing the door behind her. Speka produced a jet black staff out of nowhere and sat on it like a witch's broom, floating in the air and hovering near the staircase. "I'll be upstairs, preparing a room. Void, you go put those tools away where they belong and prepare dinner. We'll eat a bit early today. Infi, you can just make yourself comfortable."

The elder sister quickly flew up the stairs and the sounds of furniture flying and whooshing through the air rang out in the household moments later. Void leisurely tossed the shears and needles into the sewing kit and placed the leather bag on a hook near the door for future usage. A finger was pointed at the stove, where a pot filled itself with water by the sink and floated over to sit, ready to boil. The girl called over her shoulder at Infi, who was still standing awkwardly by the front door.

"Just stay over there on the couch, she did say to relax and get comfortable. Oh, and you can take out that blade Sis bought you." Void looked at a cookbook while placing the lid over the pot so it would boil faster. "May as well take a good look at what you'll be using to defend yourself for the next few years." She saw red hair swishing up and down as the boy nodded in agreement, out of the corner of her eye. It was quiet for a few moments, the bubbling sounds of the water boiling gurgling from the interior of the pot on the stove.

"This…This isn't a normal retractable blade." Infi said from the couch suddenly. He held the blade in his hands and laid it across his lap. The purplenette blinked in surprise, turning around.

"I'm pretty sure it is. The blacksmith would know best about these sorts of things, he wouldn't make a mistake."

"No." Infi curtly replied, lowering his voice again as if he didn't want to be overheard, just like the first time he spoke in the meeting room with Nox. His spiky crimson ponytail bobbed as the boy lowered his head to look closer at the weapon. "It isn't."

"What isn't what?" Speka called, gracefully walking down the stairs. A thick tome was in her hands, her witch hat nowhere to be seen and black rimmed glasses perched upon her nose. Void answered the question while chopping up some onions.

"He said the retractable sword you bought him isn't a normal one." The purplenette stated, plopping the cut pieces into the pot and turning to wash some carrots. The older sibling nodded in agreement.

"It isn't. I only said that in town so no one else would overhear or get suspicious." Her face hidden behind the tome, the witch kicked up her feet onto the couch beside Infi and turned a page. "It's actually Conwell, a sword of legend. The blacksmith was right when he said it would fool the keenest of eyes. It fooled him as well." Another rustling noise was heard as she flipped another page. "He thought it was just a normal weapon. Conwell is a sword that is actually alive, since it chooses who it appears to and who'll be its owner. I was surprised when the blacksmith handed it over to me."

Void hastily tossed in the carrots, noticing how she just paused to listen to the little excerpt. "How do you know Conwell didn't choose you?"

"It burned me when I touched it. It also burned you, didn't it? And Raven gave it back almost instantly after he picked it up, according to your story. But Infi over here," She gestured to the quiet redhead sitting next to her. "He's holding it with no problem and it sure isn't burning him like it burned us. Isn't it, Infi?" Speka received a silent nod as confirmation.

The purplenette in the kitchen checked the refrigerator and added a few more things to the pot. Soup was easy and simple to make, and filling as well. Just add a bunch of things to a hot pot of boiling water and bam, a meal. "Dinner is almost ready, by the way."

"Mmkay." Speka absentmindedly responded, already buried deep in the book in her hands. Infi still remained quiet, staring at the weapon in his hands and turning it around, examining it at different light angles.

A rapid knocking sounded on the door, making Void jump. She put down the spoon she was using to stir the contents of the pot and bustled over to the door, turning it with a small click. The door was pulled open to reveal a beautiful woman with greenish blonde hair. An intricately decorated bow rested on her back, nestled among the white fluffy feathers that extended from the bottom of her green dress.

"My name is Ventia." She smiled in a friendly manner, but her emerald eyes gave Void small shivers of anxiety. The lady's eyes resembled that of a crafty snake despite her young and lovely face. "I am a member of Squadron Zero. It seems that a partner of mine spotted something interesting yet dangerous in your hands in town about an hour or so ago."

"Umm…" Void couldn't answer to that, she couldn't trust herself to not blab something by mistake. She fiddled with the edges of her skirt and called out to Speka, unsure of what else to do. Her older sister was better dealing with things like this. "Um, Sis! Someone from Squadron Zero is here to…do something!"

"Squadron Zero?" Her sister called, making a thumping sound as she got off the couch and slammed her tome onto the living room table. "Alright, I'll be right there." Void could faintly hear frantic whispering and a few clangs from inside through straining ears but kept the rigid smile on her face to distract the woman in front of her. At last, Speka arrived by her side, looking a bit haggard but presentable enough.

"Hello there, pleased to meet you. My name is Speka." The older cautiously started, fixing her hair quickly with a hand-brushing. Void felt her sister tense next to her, since their arms were touching. Speka was as rigid as a rock, which was so unusual for her since she was normally so lucid and relaxed around people despite her sharp tongue. "What might bring an established member of the infamous Zero Squad here?"

Ventia gave a small chuckle, as if amused by the elder purplenette's greeting. "Nothing much… really. I'd just like to search around your house for a bit, if you don't mind. Raven told me that one of you two girls had something extremely dangerous in your hands in town about one or two hours ago. I just came to check it out and see how dangerous it actually is." Her forest green eyes narrowed in the slightest way, as if challenging the two girls. "You'll let me take a quick look around, wouldn't you?"

* * *

**And that marks the end of this horrible horrible chapter and ughh I can't stand it how I have no clue whatsoever as to what I'm writing and- *sobs***

**Anyways, here is Chapter 2, I hope at least some people out there enjoyed reading it…hopefully…OAO Review for me please qq**

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**RC: DAMN! Desu did a fawkin bootiful job here! TTwTT AH! I'm sooo glad I asked her! I hope that you guys review in order to give Desu a boost of confidence! She did an incredible job! *Sits in front of computer with serious face* Now let me find a way in order to keep this story's high quality going… =w=**


	3. Chapter 3

**RC: Ok! So here I am with the third chapter for V:VNU! I have this at highest priority, so as to not keep you guys waiting longer than necessary! And Snow… yes, there will be other parings beside ElsAi! So rejoice and let me throw my rainbow confetti all over the place! And let's not forget to give Desu-chan a big hug for a fantabulous last chapter! If us two authors can get 55 reviews by the sixth chapter, I will give reviewer 55 a TWO-shot, yes… you heard me… TWO-shot of their favorite pairing! We have many things in store for this story! So stay tuned for Crusader's Inc.! Now let's have the star author of this story have her word! =w=**

**Desu-Chama: You see this? Look how fast Ruby updates! It makes me feel sad that she can write it up so fast like a boss. Hueee! T^T Anyways, for the people who were curious, yes, Ventia is Rena, and yes, she is the Grand Archer class. Now let's get moving on with the chapter!**

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**Disclaimer: We do not own Elsword or any of its characters (Do I really have to do this? This is ***** FANfiction… FANfiction! It's for fans! WHY DO I NEED TO PUT AN EFFING DISCLAIMER UP?! DON'T THE COMPANIES HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO THEN STALK FF'S?!)**

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Vindication: Void No Uta

Sanctus Espiritus

_Sanctus Espiritus_

_Sanctus Espiritus_

_Sanctus Espiritus_

_In my darkest hours, I could not foresee_

_That the tide could turn so fast to this degree_

_Can't believe my eyes, how can you be so blind?_

_Is the heart of stone, no empathy inside?_

"_-Our Solemn Hour"_

* * *

The blonde-haired woman said those words; the air temperature plunged, causing Void to tremble softly like a leaf. Speka's eyes grew wide and she emitted a feeble laugh. "Eh heh… why would you…? We-we're just simple folk here…" She trailed weakly and took a nervous step back as Ventia narrowed her verdant eyes. Giving the violet-haired woman a smile brimming with phony sweetness, she giggled softly.

"Then there's no real problem is there?" She sang softly in a sweet tone. Her eyes gleamed, knowing that she had won and that the purplenettes would have to give in to her request.

Void's eyes grew wide as she slowly took a nervous step back, "Uh…sis… I'm going to go check on the soup, make sure it's not burning or anything…" She said apprehensively.

The blonde shot Void a dubious look, wondering as to why on Elrios the younger sibling would go check on a soup in case it was burning, as soup did not burn… of course, she already had a sneaking suspicion why. "You go do that Void." Speka said weakly and sweat dropped profusely.

Taking the opportunity, Void streaked away from the two older women as she hurried to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Infi was sitting on the couch, stiff as a board, trying hard not to let his panic show.

"But I would hate for you to waste your precious time! I'm sure there are other things you should be doing!" Speka exclaimed, making one last frantic attempt to get the blonde out, trying oh so hard to not let her panic show. Despite her best efforts, it was all in vain as the verdant eyed Ventia widened her grin, finally closing in on her quarry.

"Aww, thank you for being so concerned, but I assure you I have plenty of time. My friends and I, we're just here on a little break of sorts from our duties, so you don't have to worry… Unless… you have something to hide and you don't want me to see it." Speka's eyes snapped open wide and she sucked in her breath. Biting her bottom lip to prevent an acrid frown from crossing her face, she looked down and hung her head with a dejected air.

"Alright… I guess… I will warn you this place is a wreck…" The violet-headed woman sighed morosely and stepped to the side, allowing the blonde to enter the room, with a malicious grin as wide as Christmas.

"Ah, thank you!" She chirped in a maliciously cheerful tone, surveying the room with a wicked grin.

"Ah DAMMIT!" Void screeched from the kitchen.

"What is it?!" Speka snapped cantankerously as she shot Infi a desperate glance.

"I SPILLED BOILING HOT WATER OVER ME, K?!" Void bellowed back. Jumbled curses could be heard from the kitchen in a constant stream as Void nursed her wounds. Infi kept a deadpan expression, stiff and emotionless as a statue as Ventia surveyed the room with an expression of utmost interest.

"What a lovely room you have here." The blonde mused in a voice dripping with venomous honey; her eyes lingering disconcertedly long on the thick, dusty leather tome that was lying innocently on the old wooden table. Speka narrowed her stormy violet eyes, holding her hand behind her back with fingers crossed. Smirking, Ventia opened the tome, and delicately flipped through the pages, scattering minute particles of dust through the air.

Finding nothing of interest in the book, she turned to Infi, who was holding Conwell behind his back. "Ah, hello young one, how are you doing?" She greeted in a dangerously light tone. Infi's eyes snapped open wide as he realized Ventia was talking to him.

"Uh…" He mumbled weakly and shifted around disconcertedly, revealing a sliver of the glimmering, ruby-red hilt of Conwell. Upon catching sight of it, the blonde's verdant eyes narrowed.

"May I ask for your name?" She enquired; a dangerous edge to her light and musical voice.

Infi bit his bottom lip and shifted around some more, trying hard to not let his fear show. "I…uh… I am… Infi… Infi Vermiculus…"

Instantly, Speka groaned loudly and buried her face in the palm of her hands. "You…idiot…" She mumbled an inaudible whisper to Ventia's ears. Ventia perked her ears up and narrowed her eyes.

"Vermiculus… that is the name of a prominent family of demon knights from the village of Kreiss…" She hissed suspiciously and shot Infi a menacing glare.

The crimson-haired boy gulped loudly and leaned back as chills ran up his spine. "Ah hah… re-really? That's funny… K-kind of s-sucks for me though… eh heh… My… my grandma was always…ra-rambling on and on 'bout how my mother shouldn't of married that man…" Infi laughed feebly and assumed a weak, half-hearted smile. Ventia laughed softly, a quiet laugh that had no warmth despite the melodious sound and leaned in closer to Infi.

"I guess that sort of thing happens from time to time…" Ventia sighed airily and rolled her eyes. Infi shuddered and shot a nervous look at Speka, who narrowed her eyes and made a shush gesture with her left hand.

"Soup's ready!" Void cried and hurtled out of the kitchen, brandishing a wooden ladle like an angry mob member. "Oh… the scary lady is still here?" She asked and cocked her head to the side, the ladle dropping to her side.

Ventia's mouth dropped open, forming an indignant expression on her face. "I-I'm scary?' She gasped and clutched her hand over her heart. Speka moaned loudly and deadpanned, face palming herself.

"Void… just shut up." She snapped and narrowed her eyes. Void, finally catching on as to what was going on nodded hastily and dipped into a polite curtsy.

"Ah…I'm sorry…" She mumbled and bowed her head down.

The blonde chuckled softly, thoroughly amused by Void's antics and shook her head. "Nah, it's quite alright." She said airily and diverted her attention back to her prey. "May I ask as to what it is you're holding, Infi?" Ventia's tone was innocent enough, but the wide, almost insane-looking grin she donned betrayed her tone.

Infi's eyes snapped open wide, "Wha-?" He gasped faintly.

"That thing you were holding behind your back… What is it?" Ventia asked, careful to control herself from sounding too eager. No use letting her prey know that she already knew. Infi shuddered and gave Speka a helpless look, asking as what to do. Speka bit her bottom lip and gestured for him to risk it.

The blacksmith hopefully was right when he said it would fool the keenest eyes… hopefully…

"Ah… this was just a retractable sword… you know… I mean, there are minor demons that still prowl around here… you have to know how to defend yourself…" Infi mumbled, desperately praying that the verdant eyed woman bought his feeble excuse, as he showed it to her. Ventia narrowed her eyes as she contemplated the dully gleaming, elaborate ruby hilt, and wrapped her fingers around it; yanking it out of Infi's hands and earning a loud yelp from the crimson-haired youth.

"Kya!" Ventia dropped the hilt, where it clattered to the floor by her elegantly booted toes. Her sugary pink lips twisting into an acrid frown as she observed her pale, delicate fingers turn into an angry, raw red. "Th-that burns!" She gasped and sucked her fingers to numb the ardent stinging sensation.

Void squeaked and Speka tensed up; Infi dived towards Conwell and snatched it up, his eyes wide and his expression fearful. The elder violet-haired sibling narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips into a thin line, "Are you finished looking now? Or do you want to stay for soup?" She brusquely asked and flipped her short, but thick locks of lavender.

The verdant eyed woman bitterly smiled and shook her head. "Unfortunately, I can't, as I have to join my friends, but thanks for your considerate offer." Ventia practically spat the sentence as she whipped around, nursing her wound like an injured cat and storming out of the room. The white feathers of her dress and her long, honeyed locks of gold flared out behind her as she did so. She yanked open the door and slammed it shut as she exited, conjuring a strong breeze that whipped through the room as she did so.

**SLAM!**

A brief time spell overtook the room as all life seemingly came to a screeching halt. Finally, the spell was broken and time resumed.

"Now what?" Void apprehensively whispered after shooting nervous looks at Speka and Infi. The elder sibling narrowed her eyes and swept the room with her fiery gaze.

"We need to let Nox know about this… we need to let him know that everyone could be in danger…"

* * *

"So Ventia, did you manage to confirm anything?" Raven asked as the four members of Zero Squadron walked down the dusty road to Sanctimonialis, the mid-afternoon's sun beating down on them, as a gentle breeze swayed the branches of the tree; creating a rippling emerald ocean that hung in the sky.

The verdant-eyed Ventia grimaced and held her burned hand out, allowing Raven to gaze at the raw, cooked flesh. "Oh my…" He trailed softly and narrowed his sharp golden eyes, taking in the swollen skin and angry red streaks.

"That sword hilt burned me…" Ventia bitterly muttered and lowered her hand. A dark, humorless smile crossed Raven's lips and he emitted low chuckle.

"You know full well that's no regular sword hilt or retractable sword, the overpowering aura radiating from it burned… it's most likely a demon sword; a sentient sword that has life and a will of its own."

Ventia rolled her eyes and adjusted the angel wing hairclips that adorned her hair. "I know full well what a demon sword is, Raven; however you are right… No normal sword that I know of burns." A smug smirk crossed Raven's lips and he tilted his head upwards, radiating the air of one who had just been proven right.

Ignoring his smug look, Ventia plowed on. "But do you want to know the most interesting part?"

Raven's eyes widened and he shot a look at the two that were trailing behind him, attentively listening. "Continue on." He said and dipped his head. Ventia lightly bit her tongue and placed her hand over the brilliant emerald that adorned her collarbone.

"Did you happen to see a crimson haired boy by any chance?" Raven's eyebrows came crashing down as he let out a soft hiss, realizing that he had missed an important detail.

"I saw him, but I didn't pay much attention to him, why? Is he important in some way?" Raven asked, genuinely curious despite his own vehemence at not noticing the crimson-haired youth's importance earlier. A thin smile crossed Ventia's lips and she shot the amber-eyed Raven a wicked grin.

"The red-head was holding the sword without any pain to himself whatsoever…"

Raven's eyes snapped open wide and he sucked in his breath, stopping dead in his tracks, his blindingly white coat sharply flaring outwards with the movement. "You're kidding…" He said in such a slow, soft tone that the two behind Ventia and Raven had to strain to hear it, or else it would've just been an inaudible hissing. Ventia shook her head and continued on.

"Not only that… the kid's last name was Vermiculus…"

At those words, everything came to a standstill. "That was the name… that was the name of our last target… A male demon knight right? He had been causing trouble for some of the Crusaders and those idiots weren't capable of defeating him so we had to take him out… That's how I got this scar and lost my arm." Raven said and lightly tapped the jagged scar that cut his delicate eyebrow in half with his dully gleaming arm of silver.

Ventia grimaced and bit her bottom lip, "That was a tough fight…" She mumbled. Raven chuckled humorlessly and shot a glance down at his robotic arm.

"Thanks to that bastard, I can't dual wield and be all ninja anymore." He muttered petulantly and balled his gleaming hand into a fist. Ventia snorted softly, amused by the amber-eyed man's wording.

"So do we get to kill him?" The question came from the silver-haired girl with sharp golden eyes. Ventia sighed exasperatedly and cocked her head to the side. "What?" The silver-haired girl snapped and adjusted the snowy white flower that adorned the left side of the stygian black collar of her dress.

"You're so violent Nemesis…" Ventia replied and gently swayed from side to side as if the breeze was moving her. The silver-haired girl, Nemesis as she was called, drew her lips into a pout.

"Well!" She huffed indignantly. The blonde-haired teen, clad in pallid white armor, adorned with blue strips of cloth chuckled softly and ruffled Nemesis's silvery hair.

"Relax Nemi; it's no use wasting your energy on weaklings… We don't know how much more you can take before you…" The rest of the teen's sentence trailed into silence, but there was no need to finish the sentence as they all knew…

Nemesis snorted petulantly and gripped the teen's hand, yanking it off her head. "Don't be such a worry-wart Chase! My body can take a few more uses before I break down!" She snapped, narrowing her eyes which flashed dangerously.

"Chase is right Nemesis; we want to preserve your life as long as possible…" Ventia said and gave the two younger ones a look, similar to what a concerned mother would give. Nemesis rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to give Ventia a scalding retort, but was interrupted by Raven.

"She's correct, besides Angel asked us to look after you, she's worried." At those words, Nemesis's lips turned down into a fearsome scowl.

"That's bull; Angel can't feel worry or much of anything!" She spat. Chase sighed and laid a soothing hand on Nemesis' shoulder.

"A sister, no matter her emotions or lack thereof will always worry, no matter what." He sagely stated eliciting a low, drawn-out growl from the silver-haired girl. With an incensed expression, she raised her outstretched hand, backwards.

**SLAP!**

She whipped it forward, striking Chase on his cheek, and leaving a harsh red mark that throbbed ardently.

"Nemesis!" Ventia scolded and assumed a disapproving expression. The silver-haired girl in response gave the elder blonde a deadpan look.

"Well, I don't need a mother hen." She said flatly.

Raven snorted and narrowed his eyes. "I think the more accurate term would be father hen." He gratuitously muttered and cocked his head to the side. His musing was met by a taciturn silence from the silverette.

"Well what do we do now?" Chase asked, liberally massaging his cheek. Ventia narrowed her eyes and shot a look at the taciturn Nemesis.

"What?" The silverette dourly snapped.

"Can we trust you to put the crimson-haired boy and the violet-headed girl under surveillance? We need to gather more info before contacting Angel, or else we'll have a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

"I see… this is grave news…" Nox bit his bottom lip as he narrowed his grey eyes.

"What shall we do?" Speka nervously asked as she shifted her weight around on her feet disconcertedly. Nox grimaced and sucked in his breath, dipping his head forward slightly causing the pallid locks to obscure his eyes.

"The best that I can think of in this precarious situation is that we need to wait and see, but we must be on guard. I'll try to arrange another meeting, so as to let everyone else know to be wary."

"What do you mean? Why don't we evacuate the village now?!" Void yelped as she shot up straight in her chair. Infi chewed on his bottom lip and answered in lieu of Speka who was about ready to strangle her younger sister.

"It would be a dead giveaway at that point… We'd have to flee to Rurensia and moving, especially a whole village is very risky…" He said softly and swung his legs back in forth, as he leaned forward in the old wooden chair he was perched on.

"Exactly, now will you shut up?" Speka snapped and gave an acerbic glare to Void, who huffed indignantly and stuck her tongue out at the elder sibling. Nox chortled lowly and shook his head, thoroughly amused by the purplenettes's antics. Giving Infi, who was looking rather uncomfortable at this point, a reassuring nod, he surveyed the trio and dipped his head.

"Rest assured, something will be done about this… This village will not be another Kreiss."

* * *

"Are you sure everything will be ok?" Infi mumbled as the trio walked down the dusty, cobbled road towards the tailor to get some clothes for Infi. Speka set her mouth into a thin straight line and glanced around her, surveying the village that was bustling with life, almost all of them unaware of the looming threat of eradication that hung over their head; unnoticed despite the sheer enormity of the peril.

Taking a deep breath, the elder purplenette sighed and fiddled with the tiny, ebon ribbon that held the lacey, violet collar of her frilly stygian dress together. "I can't make any promises, but I am confident we'll get through this." Her own wavering voice betrayed her confident words, doing nothing to reassure the crimson-haired Infi.

"I'm hungry…" Void whined and tugged on the wavy piece of white fabric that was secured to her dress by a deep, blood-red ruby, rimmed with gold. Speka stopped dead in her tracks in order to gape at Void incredulously.

"What… in… all unholy El would you say that you're hungry? You just ate dinner about an hour ago!" She exclaimed and threw her arms to the heavens in a gesture of hopelessness. Void deadpanned and stared intently at her sister.

"I didn't get to eat desert and all this walking around has worked up an appetite." She said in a serious voice. Speka groaned loudly and shook her head.

"Even as a baby, she was eating the whole house…" She grumbled and gave Void an exasperated look.

Infi cracked a small smile, but immediately dropped it upon seeing the curious look Void gave him.

"Hmm…?" She mumbled interestedly and cocked her head to the side. Speka snorted and fished some bronze coins out of her purse.

"Fine you little glutton, here you go." She handed Void the coins and rolled her eyes. Void grinned widely and turned around, prepared to head in the direction of the bakery, but was stopped by Speka's hand. Rolling her eyes, she blew the bangs out of her eyes and slowly turned around to find her sibling intently staring at her.

"That will require an extra round of lessons…" The elder whispered softly, eliciting a loud groan from Void.

_I should've known, there's no such thing as a free lunch when my sister is involved! _

Void thought dejectedly and sullenly shook her head. "Ok…" She moaned and tore away from her older sister, breaking down into a run as she ran.

"Oh yeah! Get me a slice of cake while you're at it!" Speka hollered after her.

Void snickered and rolled her eyes. Speka always scolded her for eating too much, but Void knew she could be quite the glutton as well. A faint smile crossed her face, tugging the corners of her mouth upwards as she recalled the memory of Speka sneaking a piece of pumpkin chiffon in the middle of the night after Thanksgiving.

As the cheerful dark mage ran, a small white blur followed her movements, golden eyes flickering as it made soft little beeping noises, sending data back to its master.

* * *

"Angel, do you think this makes me look manlier?" A young male with a delicate, heart-shaped face, wide cerulean eyes, and long, thick, golden hair that cascaded down his back, asked as he showed off his outfit.

Angel, a young woman with long sinuous locks of snowy silver and amber eyes, surveyed the feminine-faced man with her eternal poker face. Born without emotions, Angel was one of the best people to ask if you wanted an honest opinion, though her honesty could shoot into the realm of brutality due to her lack of consideration for other people's feelings.

Her hovering crown of cobalt energy buzzed softly as silence overtook the spacious rooms, echoing off the marble walls and floors, amplifying the sound and making it seem louder than it really was. Cocking her head to the side, she contemplated the white suit, edged with cyan with a critical eye.

"It's better than the armor Pallus; no wonder your fiancé, Imperia, mistook you for a girl. Those magenta ribbons certainly weren't helping you." She finally replied in a bland monotone while shifting her weight from side to side; the sapphire-studded skirt of ebon swishing gently as she did so. Pallus flamed a brilliant shade of crimson and ducked his head, looking mortified.

"As blunt as ever Angel, but could you please not be a little more tactful please? Have some respect for that armor; it's the traditional armor of a paladin." He sighed petulantly and shook his head. Angel gave the young man a deadpan expression and shrugged her shoulders.

"Then why did you ask me if you didn't want honesty?" She replied blandly. Pallus sighed and shook his head, burying his face in his hands.

"I want honesty Angel, but I also want you to be more considerate of other people's feelings." He froze as he realized his mistake just a second too late.

"Please stop with these feelings, if I could get annoyed, I would be. All you guys ever do is ramble on and on about these feelings, but all they seem to be is an obstacle that hinders people from being efficient. Even those idiot Crusaders who are supposed to be deferring to me as the Priestess representing the holy spirit of death, Gabriel, defy my authority all because of these feelings."

If Angel was capable of expressing emotion, her voice would've dripped with utmost vehemence, as of now, the air crackled and buzzed as the sharp stench of ozone permeated the air; the energy crown the emotionless girl was wearing, flaring up with each word. Pallus gulped and took a nervous step back from Angel, not wanting to accidently get electrocuted. He still remembered the last time and despite all the apologies Angel gave him, it could not erase the painful burn that adorned his back.

"I-if y-you… if you say so…" Pallus trailed nervously and tugged on a strand of russet-tipped honey blonde. Angel stared attentively at Pallus with a blank expression, before whipping away from him and walking down the hall, the sunlight streaming through the cavernous windows, setting the electric-blue sapphires that adorned her outfit, ablaze.

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_Soon it will all burn…_

_This land will be purified and the great tragedy will never occur…_

_The Holy Grail must not be revived at all costs…_

_No matter how much blood must be shed…_

_Hamel, even if acting alone, will save this world…._

_To do that…_

_All potential causes must be erased…_

_Therefore leaving the equation that equals destruction incomplete…_

_I as the holy angel will cover this land in the flames of purification…_

_And I will not shed a tear, even when it all burns…_

_Penitenziagite! Penitenziagite!_

_The evil in the land shall repent of their sins!_

_For the gravest sin of all is being alive!_

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**RC: Here is the third chapter of the collab! I'm sorry if it seemed a little rushed… eh heh =w=; I kind of skimped on detail so it might not be all that good… and the last part is sort of confusing, but it hints at what's to come! I kind of portrayed Zero Squadron as more human in this chapter, because honestly… They are people here, even if they're antagonistic. Kufufu, Angel sounds so evil here… Can anyone now guess as to the name changes are here? Hopefully, more interesting things will occurring in the next chapter!**

**Desu- Chama: That was so awesome…Give me a moment to cry. As for Chapter 4, guys, pray that I don't royally screw up and kill it. I know what's expected of the next chappie and I'm not good at writing that sort of stuff but HUEEEEEEE I'll manage. Hopefully. Everyone, click that Review button and reward Ruby-chan for her amazing work :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. And here I am, the tremendously lazy Desuchi, with another super duper late update. I suck at collabs. I'm sorry Ruby. But on a brighter note, I think this chapter came out pretty okay, if I do say so myself. Apparently I find it easier to write about destruction rather than normal, life-is-good stuff. Whooo! And even if the name changes are confusing, it's required to keep this fanfic flowing, so you'll have to put up with it. Sorry ;w; Way to be blunt and straightforward…*mutters and walks away***

**Anyways, this story is finally going to start moving with this chapter, the first few were there to establish a 'background' and in some way or another, a little bit of character development. Sushi-chan, OUT! –poofs out in a cloud of markers-**

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**Ruby the Awesomesauce Mushroom: Mushroom… Really? Oh I'm sooo making the Sushi joke next chapter =w= And, I'm a hundred percent sure that Desu did such a bootiful job that I will wind up crying to the point of depression XD**

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**Disclaimer: We don't own Elsword.**

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Vindication: Void No Uta

Destruction- Darkness

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The silver moon was a beautiful orb against the midnight blue sky, a pearl nestled among the enchantingly beautiful folds of deep blue streaks and ebony shades. Stars twinkled gold and white as diamonds to adorn the beauty of the nighttime, further adding to its splendor. Void yawned sleepily and tucked herself deeper into her silky blankets, cracking open an eye to give the moon one last glance before shutting them. She heard Infi from the other side of the thin wall mumble something about hunger and assumed that he'll wake up in the middle of the night sometime and grab a midnight snack, but all was good. He'd probably run into Speka in the kitchen, since her sister was infamous in the household for getting hungry at odd hours. The purplenette curled up on her soft mattress and leaned into the pillow, relishing the coolness of the fabric as she drifted off to a light fluffy cloud of sleep.

Speka opened the door to the dim room with a little click of the knob, peeking in to see Void already falling asleep. She muttered a quick "goodnight little brat" and shut the door, exiting as quickly and quietly as before. The white nightgown fluttered around her ankles as she did the same to Infi, who was promptly fast asleep with Conwell next to him like a teddy bear, before retiring to her own chambers for the late evening.

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"Wake up! Everyone out! Everybody, OUT!" A loud shout erupted from the chilling silence of night, followed by some screams and crashes. Void burst out of bed, swinging her head wildly at the sudden noise. She caught sight of the mobs of terrified people running away from…something…outside her bedroom window with panicking expressions and clutching various bags to their chests. Wide violet eyes were rubbed as the young girl jumped out of bed and tore out of her room, flinging aside the door to her older sibling's bedroom.

"Speka, wake up! Wake up!" Void pounced on her sister and shook her frantically, one eye peeking out the window to see the lights of multiple flames greedily consuming everything in sight. "Wake up, the village is on fire!"

"Mmm…" The older witch roused herself and looked around sleepily, then snapped out of her drowsy daze when she caught the flickering lights of blazing fire outside the window. "Grab Infi and get out of the house. I'll go grab a few things and meet you outside." She threw aside her blankets and gritted her teeth at the sudden cold, wrapping herself in a nearby shawl.

"I'm already awake." Infi rasped from the open doorway, where Void and unceremoniously tossed it to the side in her haste to get to her older sibling. Conwell was strapped to his back in a sheath with a couple of black leather straps that both purple headed siblings were sure they didn't have in the house before. He caught their curious stares and quickly explained, his ruby red eyes flickering back and forth between the sisters and the window. "They formed on their own and Conwell strapped itself to me. We should…get out of here."

The older purplenette leaped out of her bed and ushered the younger teens out of the room, motioning them to the exit. "Out. Go to where everyone else is headed. Don't get separated." With a moment's pause, she dipped her head and narrowed her eyes at certain points of the room. "I love you both. Now get out!"

Void nodded and grabbed Infi's hand- the boy let out a quick gasp of air as she tore down the stairs and out of the house- and stopped dead still once they reached the outdoors. Flames, flames everywhere. Blazing infernos as bright as the tongues of dragons smoldered and roasted everything in sight, producing crackling noises as loud as a clap of thunder. As the two friends watched in horror, tightly grasping each other's sweaty hands, various other houses caught the consuming flames and collapsed, causing piercing screams to ring out in the air. Void held in a gasp of shock when the searing light of a flame danced across her sightline, momentarily displaying the charred face of a dead village boy, his eyes closed and body unmoving with dirt streaked across his clothes. Nausea washed over her, and she would've fallen forwards in dizziness if Infi hadn't firmly shaken her and stare into her widened eyes with a grim look on his face.

"We…We have to go. Do what Speka told us to do." Red eyes suddenly snapped away from her scared orbs and widened at the house behind them. "NOW!" Infi cried, jumping forwards and bolting away from their household with Void tightly gripping his arm, right before the entire structure collapsed. A chilling wave of terror washed over her as she trembled in place, loosening her hold on Infi's arm and choking back a horrified cry.

"S-Speka…she was still in there…" Void's purple orbs brightened with tears, threatening to overflow as her tone cracked. "Is she…Is she…gone…?" Her voice trailed off, thin and weak amidst the crackling noises of the infernos. The red haired boy remained silent, closing his eyelids in sadness and gently tugging on her hand.

"We have to go. There's nothing we can do."

"No!" Void suddenly howled, the tears dripping down her face in rivers. She violently tried to wrench her arm out of Infi's grip and let loose a cry of frustration when she couldn't break free. "Let go of me! SPEKAAAAAA!"

The scream echoed across the whole village, the loudest wail yet. Infi looked up in terror and tried to drag her away, apparently finding something horrifying above them. Void refused, her tears brimming her eyelids as she looked back at the burning ruins that was once her house. "SPEKA!" She shrieked again, clumsily kicking at Infi in her haze of desperation.

"Void, you have to move- Agh!" Infi was roughly kicked, caught off guard and stumbling into the muddy ground, collapsing onto his side in the grassy debris. The purplenette rushed back to the aflame ruins of her house, digging through the wreckage with her bare fingers, ignoring the pain from ripping her nails on the hard bits of wall. "Sis…SIS!" Hot tears flowed down her face when she shakily lifted up the beat up table with a bit of magic, revealing the motionless body of her older sister.

"Speka! Speka, can you hear me!" Void desperately shook her older sister, panting and haphazardly swiping at her face to get her messy purple strands away from her eyes. "Sis, it's me! Void! Answer me, please! PLEASE!" She sobbed and buried her face in the already cold body of the older witch, already knowing she was gone and crying over the fact that she couldn't do anything about it. Infi walked up from behind her silently and put a heavy hand on her shoulder, warm and comforting, but unwanted.

Void didn't want comfort. She wanted her sister back. She wanted that older sibling who was gluttonous and sarcastic, the one who tortured her daily with lessons to improve on her magic. The one who took care of her when she was sick and the one who helped her go through the pains of life every since they were and lost their parents. She shook her sister again, trying to ignore the large burn across Speka's still face.

A small tinkling noise sounded by her knees, cutting off Void's sobbing and causing the younger one to look at the source with curiosity. It was her hairpin- the skull shaped one that she wore daily and would never live a day without. This resulted in a few more sobs as Void's cheeks were moistened with tears again, picking up the small accessory with trembling hands. The purplenette grasped the hairpin in tightly clenched fists and shut her eyes tight, trying to drown out the noises of houses collapsing and people screaming.

This was all a nightmare. A horrible nightmare, but a nightmare nonetheless. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't deny the fact that this was real- harsh and cold reality struck her to the core when she realized she would never see her snarky sibling ever again. Infi's warm hands were steady on her shoulders as she felt herself be helped up and led around wreckage, her violet orbs still closed. The redhead's soft whispers could be heard above the chaos.

"It'll be alright…She knew it would happen." He murmured near her ear, soothingly patting her hair in an uncharacteristically intimate way. "We just need to get out of here."

"Alright." She responded in nothing more than a broken whisper, still clutching onto the hairpin. The edges of the round clip dug into her fingers hard enough to leave red imprints, but the magician didn't care. Searing waves of heat washed over them as the two grief stricken teens numbly walked their way across the destroyed village. Void opened her eyes slowly, taking in all the dead bodies and destruction. She felt bile rise in her throat and firmly pushed her queasiness to the back of her mind, pinning the hairclip in her hand back into the usual spot in her hair.

"Infi. Let's get a move on." She bravely fought to keep her voice steady and clear. Choking down a gasp when she caught a glimpse of a man's corpse pinned to the wall with foreign black blades of steel, she met Infi's concerned eyes determinedly. "We should get to a safer location. Most of the villagers are gone and dead, even…" Her gaze flickered to a lonely corpse on the ground, charred except for a few features that could still be somewhat recognizable. "Even Nox." She said, with her expression wavering.

The crimson-haired boy next to her gave a curt nod, momentarily sighing sadly at the village's ruins before his face settled into one of a flat, apathetic expression. "Don't let the death get to you. We have to be apathetic; otherwise we might crack and lose our lives."

Void gave a grim nod and forced herself to make her mind steer clear of any emotional ties with the motionless bodies they passed. Some sort of static took over her mind and she found herself being strangely uncaring for the people around her, all of them besides Infi. "I don't care anymore, I can't see them, and they're not there. We're just two teenagers walking away from a destroyed village." She muttered to herself over and over as she stepped over a charred tree trunk. She felt her friend's worried gaze sweep over her for a second before Conwell was quickly drawn and a spear falling from the sky was sliced in half seconds before it impaled her.

Void took a step back in surprise, first looking at the strange metallic black blade that had just fallen from the sky and tried to skewer her, then looking up to see who had thrown it. Infi inched closer to the purplenette, getting into an offensive stance with his blade. A beautiful figure looked down at the two teens with distaste from the roof of a still standing church, golden eyes set into a regal expression as the azure orb on her forehead glowed. Immediately, another set of spears materialized in the air and swooped downwards, narrowly missing the two teenagers down below as they scrambled to get out of the way.

"Looks like we found two rats that survived." Her lips curved into a small smirk while her face remained scorning. The black combat dress she clad in gleamed menacingly in the light of the flames that surrounded the area, reflecting the scarlet fire in a mirror like way on the surface of the armor.

The redhead next to her growled and kneeled beside the purplenette, who was quivering with fear. "She's the one who destroyed half of Kreiss on her own. A member of the Zero Squad, here…" He hissed, drawing Void closer to him. "I'll deal with her, you go hide and get to somewhere safe."

Violet hair swished back and forth as Void let loose a shout of refusal. "No! You're coming with me! Speka wanted us both to be safe!" Infi shook her off and took Conwell's sheath off his back, watching it morph into a second sword in his hands.

"No. You go. I stay." His eyes glittered with hatred and the need for vengeance as he gazed up at the silver haired girl staring down at them from the roof. The girl's hand was raised in the air, multiple blades hovering in the air, ready to kill them both. Strangely, however, she didn't release the weapons yet- instead, she looked at them with a calculating stare and remained still, the sharp black steel weapons still floating around her as the metallic wings on her back buzzed with electric sparks. "When I count to three…you run to that pile of logs over there and get over it. Hide behind it until you find another hiding place to run to. Don't get caught."

Void whimpered when the redhead released her and faced the expressionless female on the crown of the ancient bricked church. She clutched onto his arm and quickly ripped the hairpin from her hair, pressing it into his palm. "Take this, Infi. I'll…I'll see you later, after you win and meet me on the outskirts of town. Don't get too hurt, okay?" Her voice cracked again and her eyes became blurry. The redhead paused to look at her with an unreadable expression on his face, his ponytail flicking around in the sudden breeze and the flames forming eerie shadows that danced across his face.

"I will. Good luck, Void." Infi quickly turned around to hide his face and abruptly threw Conwell furiously at the girl on the roof, causing the other to jump backwards as a response. "Three!"

Void tore away from the redheaded teen and dashed for the logs, teleporting behind it to speed up her escape. The clashing sounds of Conwell meeting multiple ebony blades were harsh to her ears; each strike making her want to plug her ears and curl up into a ball.

_Please let Infi be safe._ She pleaded to whatever being was out there. She caught sight of a pile of wreckage not far off and teleported to it, peeking over the debris to see her redheaded friend jumping around and taking part in an intense battle with the silver haired Zero Squad member.

"Well, what do we have here?" A cold voice hissed from behind her. Void whipped around and paled at the sight of a familiar devilishly handsome scarred face. It was that man again, the person who had first picked up Conwell from the ground a few weeks ago- the reason why his Squad was now destroying her village. Raven.

The purplenette swallowed the lump in her throat and edged backwards, feeling like prey in the sight of a hungry predator. Raven's golden eyes gleamed menacingly as he advanced, smoothly unsheathing a long, thin blade of steel while doing so and striding towards her in unhurried steps. Void hastily looked around for a place to escape, swinging her head wildly, and momentarily breaking eye contact with the man. She found herself pinned to the ground barely a moment later, her head thudding to the ground with a painful thump.

"Never break eye contact with your enemy, little girl." He murmured in a chilling whisper, his white coat flaring out in the wind. The frightened purplenette started shaking violently in his grasp. "It can cost you your life…a little advice for your next life." The blade's sharp point was held to her throat, sweat dripping down her face when the steel brushed against her skin. Void pressed herself to the ground in a useless effort to get away from the sword, but to no avail.

When the tip started slowly digging into her rapidly breathing throat, she felt something snap in the back of her mind. Her eyes dilated and Void let loose a shriek, the sound of somebody letting out all of their pains and frustrations in one go. With a strangled noise of surprise, a loud sound similar to the crack of thunder flung Raven off of Void, the man grunting in surprise and flipping elegantly onto the ground. His eyes narrowed.

"Of course…another one of those half-demon spawn." He hissed, clutching at his chest painfully where apparently Void had slammed her magic into. The purplenette breathed heavily, feeling her face contort into one of hysterical amusement. She started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Ah…ahahaha…HAHAHA!" Her mouth stretched into an insane grin, fear overtaking her. "They…They're all dead…Speka…Nox…the villagers…the blacksmith…All of them- DEAD! And guess what? I bet Infi-" Her voice cracked and tears started to stream from her swollen eyes, but she still continued to laugh wildly. "I bet Infi is dead now too! It's your entire fault…Squadron Zero…Kill me now, and I'll forever hunt you down. Haha…I can't do this anymore. I can't!" Void screamed and lurched forwards, burying her uncontainable laughter in her hands. "I hate you…I hate you all! I can't do anything. I'm too weak! My sister is dead and now I'll be joining her. JUST KILL ME ALREADY-"

She was cut off by a fierce blow to the jaw that slammed her into a tree with a sickening crunch, like a doll thrown against a wall. Raven let out a slow long hiss, flicking his blade in the air with a venomous stare. "You want to die?" He sneered and removed his mechanical arm from his chest, where a large burnt-edged spot revealed part of his tan chest. It had burnt through his flawless white coat and seared a hole through his underlying black tanktop, exposing a scarred torso. "Who am I to resist such an easy offer?"

Something animalistic had taken over the man's features, something that screamed danger and an underlying insanity of his own. For such a controlled and calculating Zero Squad member, his rage was evident when he fought. Perhaps he had a fearsome grudge against half-demons like her…?

Void tried to force her expression back into one of normal terror, but found her face was forever stuck in an insane grin. Maybe she was too petrified with fear to gain control of her body again. Maybe letting loose that burst of magic had momentarily killed her control over herself and rendered her unable to move her facial features again. Maybe she knew she was already going to die and her body simply didn't care for facial expressions.

A quick slashing sound rang out in the air, followed by the splatter of fluid on the ground. Void collapsed forwards, feeling a gaping wound in her throat spew out a warm red liquid. Even as her vision faded to black, she maintained a spiteful eye contact with Raven's cool honey gold eyes as she slowly left the world. A chilling cold took over her body as she fought to send an internal message to the expressionless man who had taken her life.

_I'll kill you…I'll kill you all._

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Void opened her eyes with a gasp, sitting up from her laying down position. She looked around quickly, her short hair flipping violently with the movement. Nothing…but gray. Everything was gray- the walls, the ceiling, the floor. She was in a monochrome room, one that was void of color besides her. Surprisingly enough when she looked down at herself, her outfit wasn't stained or dirty- and her body was freshly washed, judging from the clean scent of strawberries that wafted from her silky violet strands. The only thing missing from her was the clip she had given to Infi before…

Before Raven had killed her. Her expression hardened as she looked around the room, getting up to tap at the walls. The walls were solid, none of them seeming to have any weak points. She tried to kick at it a few times, but all she got was an aching pain in her foot moments later. Even in death, she could feel pain. How wonderful. She depressingly sat where she was, not even bothering to lean against the walls. Everything looked the same here anyways, why did it matter to where she sat? Void pursed her lips and looked down at her shoes, poking them and surprising herself with how real they felt. It was a shame she was dead- she could've fooled herself into believing she was alive again if it weren't for the listlessly colorless room.

"You can go back, you know." A voice interrupted the eerie silence of the room. Void perked up her ears and turned curiously to the voice.

A devilishly hot looking male sat casually in one corner of the room, examining her with gleaming yellow eyes. Not golden, but as yellow as the sun. His white hair blended smoothly into his pale skin, and like her, he was dressed in a stylish combination of black, purple, and white. The teen's thin lips stretched into a smug smirk at Void's confused stare.

"You aren't exactly completely dead yet." His almost seductive tone sounded like honey as he nonchalantly glanced at first her, and the rest of the eerily empty room. "Let's say that you spared yourself the one-way ticket to the afterlife by having a ridiculously strong resolve before you died, and instead got temporary stop in the middle. You wanted to…" He cocked his head to the side, his short locks of white falling over his ears. "Kill a certain group of people?"

"Zero Squad." She quietly responded, nervously fingering the edges of her skirt. Old habits die hard, even in death. Void uncertainly looked at the amused expression on the male's face.

"I can-" He paused for a second, contemplating her with his piercing eyes before continuing. "I can help with that, but a contract is required." Void looked up in interest. Was he saying that she can go back to living again in the real world?

"A…contract?"

"Yeah. I'm the King of Darkness, you see, I have the power to bring you back to life if I wish. But I don't do free business." His yellow, inhumane eyes glowed. "If, let's say, we made a contract, I can give you another chance at life without you coming back as a totally different person. You'll retain your memories and gain some extra powers to help accomplish your goal- provided you help achieve my own in the human world as well."

"Wait. Why can't you go do it yourself?" Void asked suspiciously, trying to not let her eagerness get the better of herself. She could go back and avenge Speka's death, and meet Infi again if he was still alive. The strange, white haired teen dipped his head with a slight chuckle.

"I'm the King of Darkness, I just said so. That means I'm bound to a different realm than the one you live in and can't travel around as freely as I wish. But that doesn't prevent me from meddling with reality using other methods like…" He raised a thin white eyebrow and glanced at her. "Contracts and other connections."

"So, what are the requirements for the contract?" The purplenette folded her hands behind her back and started to rock back and forth on the balls of her feet. "Nothing like selling my soul out or anything, right?" She nervously asked, biting her lip. She earned herself a smirk from the other person…being, or whatever he was.

"Just a few. In exchange for me giving you back your old life, you need to…" He rose up a pale hand and held up three slim fingers, ticking them down as he spoke. "Wear the attire I dress you in. Bring a minion of mine into your world as a method of communication and extra power. Wear my symbol upon yourself as a sign of the contract's authenticity. That's about it."

"I guess those are simple requests…" Void murmured, looking down at the monochrome tiled floor and dipping her head. "Who is this…minion you talk of?"

"Petite Angkor." The teen smoothly replied. "He is a relatively small creature that takes the form of an overweight bat." The King of Darkness let out a snort in exasperation, flipping his snowy white hair. "The plump idiot likes to stuff himself with food from my realm, but he'll make a reliable partner."

Void gave a curt nod, accepting the contract's terms. "I agree to the terms. But…what is your goal in my realm?"

"First things first, we shake hands." The other's tone was light and casual as he avoided the question. "After we shake, you'll be sent back into the human world that you came from with noticeable changes due to the contract." Their hands met while he spoke, unnoticed by the girl. As fog started to form around the two figures, Void's purple eyes widened.

"Wait! What's your part of the deal?!" She desperately called out as the fog started to thicken, hiding the other being from her view. A low chuckle was heard from somewhere within the mist.

"My goal…is to-"

Everything faded to white and Void shut her eyes tight, her head suddenly spinning like a whirlpool.

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**I guess this marks the end of chapter 4? It got a bit too long, I was going to continue it, but that'll leave poor Ruby-chan to write up another boring part. I figured I'd be nice and let her write up the next amusing part. :3**

**So, how was the chapter?**

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**Roooobeee: This was perfect…. Perfect in every way shape and form… but now… I'll have to fill in a couple of loop holes next chapter :3 But still… I got to love collabing with Desu-chan here! Collabs are interesting because even the authors have no clue as to where the story is heading! I wonder how many characters Desu-chan will allow me to kill? XD And next chapter… OH YEAH! I GET TO WRITE THE PART I WANTEDTO WRITE! WOOOT! **


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